JPS6251067A - Positioning of tape cassette - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a method for positioning a tape cassette whose external shape is compatible with a floppy disk.

[Summary of the invention]

A center core rotatably driven in a flat cartridge formed by an upper half and a lower half, a rotation drive section interlocked with the center core for rotating a supply reel and a take-up reel; When positioning a tape cassette, which is equipped with a tape guide that guides the magnetic tape pulled out from the supply reel along a flat space inside the cartridge and returns it to the take-up reel, in a recording/playback device, the center core Since the tape cassette is positioned with reference to the rotating shaft of the drive motor that collides with the tape cassette, it is possible to improve the positioning accuracy of the tape cassette.

[Conventional technology]

A floppy disk has a flexible magnetic disc housed in a flat cartridge, and the magnetic disc is rotated to record and reproduce signals.

Therefore, since the shape is compact and high-density data can be written or read quickly, it can be directly attached to various types of OA equipment, including microcomputers.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an example of such a floppy disk, in which a magnetic disk is rotatably housed in a space inside a cartridge in which an upper half H1 and a lower half H2 are overlapped. An opening part Kt for contacting the magnetic head (pad) and a shutter S for opening and closing are attached to one end.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

In such a floppy disk, recording tracks are formed in the circumferential direction of the magnetic disk, so the access time is fast, but there is a problem that the storage capacity becomes insufficient, especially when the diskette becomes small.

Therefore, as described below, we developed a large-capacity tape cassette that is compatible with floppy disks.
Conventional positioning methods for recording/reproducing devices have a problem in that it is extremely difficult for the magnetic head to scan a predetermined recording track.

The present invention has been made to solve these problems, and provides a method for positioning a tape cassette that allows highly accurate positioning when installed in a recording/reproducing device.

[Means for solving problems]

In the tape cassette positioning method of the present invention, the rotational drive shaft of the floppy disk recording and reproducing device is set as a reference point for positioning the tape cassette, and the relative position of the magnetic head and tape is regulated.

[Effect]

In a floppy disk recording and reproducing device, the position of the rotational drive shaft and the relative position of the magnetic head moved by the stepping motor are adjusted with high precision during the manufacturing stage. Therefore, if the positional accuracy of the cartridge of the tape cassette and the tape running inside the tape cassette is made high, by positioning the cartridge, especially the vicinity of the center core, with respect to the rotational drive shaft, the magnetic head and the tape can be aligned. It becomes possible to accurately determine relative positions.

〔Example〕

FIG. 1 shows a plan view of a tape cassette (separately pending application) to which the present invention is applied, and the portion below the break line R shows the inside of the cassette with the upper half removed. Further, FIG. 2 shows a cross section taken along the center line LL in FIG. 1.

First, the tape cassette will be explained with reference to these drawings. 10 is a lower half 10a and an upper half t of the same size.
Fig. 5 shows a cartridge formed by overlapping ob.

The dimensions of the cartridge 10 on the left side from the dashed-dotted line Q are the same shape and thickness as, for example, a 3.5-inch micro-floppy disk cartridge.

The lower half log is provided with a drive hole 10A in the center of the flap, through which the center core l for driving engages with the rotating shaft of the motor, and both the upper and lower halves lOa and 10b are provided with Like a floppy disk cartridge, an opening 10B is formed through which a magnetic head (pad) faces.

10c is a protrusion provided to distinguish between this tape cassette and a conventional microfloppy disk, and 100 and 100 are dowel holes for positioning.

Reference numeral 10B indicates a dome portion formed to cover a tape reel and a rotating mechanism, which will be described later.

Furthermore, detection holes 10F+ and 1OF2 are provided which penetrate the upper and lower halves 10a and 10b, and these detection holes 1
The running state of the tape is monitored at 0F+ and 10F2.

1 is on the inner surface of the upper half 10b facing the drive hole 10A,
For example, the center core is rotatably attached via an oil-less metal or the like, and the center core 1 has a shaft hole IA where the rotating shaft of the recording/reproducing device abuts, and a hole IB into which the drive pin is inserted. is provided, and a concave flange IC is formed on its outer periphery so that the timing belt 2 is wound thereon.

As shown in FIG. 2, one end of the toothed timing belt 2 is connected to a pulley 3 pivotally supported by a shaft P1, and a gear 3A carved on this pulley 3 is connected to a shaft P1. It is formed so as to mesh with the oscillating gear 4 which is pivotally supported. Reference numeral 5 denotes a swing plate which is connected to the shaft P2 by a clutch mechanism via a slip plate 4A and a spring coil 4B, and one end of which is TL-fitted onto the shaft P1.

Such a transmission mechanism, as seen in the forward/reverse mechanism of a tape recorder, changes the direction of rotation of the oscillating plate 5 depending on the rotational direction of the pulley 3.
swings left and right to control the oscillating gear 4 to mesh with the adjacent gear (bevel gear) 6a or 6b.

Reference numeral 7a denotes a bevel gear pivotally supported by a shaft 9 substantially perpendicular to the bevel gear 6a, which drives a supply reel 8a around which the tape 11 is wound.

Tape guides 12a and 13a allow tape 11 pulled out from supply reel 8a to circulate in a flat space inside the cartridge in a flat state.

Although not shown, the tape guides 12b, 13b, and 14b are guided by the take-up reel 8b.

It is guided back at 15b, 16b, and 17b.

18 is the opening 10B of the upper and lower halves 10a and 10b.
A sliding shutter configured to block the
This shutter 18 is controlled in a manner similar to that used in known microfloppy disks.

Since the tape cassette that is the object of this invention has the above-described structure, when it is installed in a conventional micro-floppy disk playback device, the rotating shaft in the device abuts against the shaft hole IA of the center core 1, and the rotating shaft As the drive pin rotates, the drive pin enters the hole IB and can drive the center core 1.

Then, the pulley 3 rotates via the timing belt 2, and the supply reel 8a rotates via the single swing gear 4 and bevel gears 6a and 7a. In this case, when the center core 1 is rotating normally (in the direction of the arrow), the oscillating gear 4 and the oscillating plate 5 swing in the direction of the arrow, as is well known, so that the oscillating gear 4 and the bevel gear 6b They mesh and rotate the take-up reel 8b via a bevel gear 7b (not shown).

Therefore, the tape 11 is pulled out from the supply reel 8a in the direction of the arrow, is turned approximately 90'' by the tape guide 15a at the corner, and is turned around by tape guides 16a, 17.
a, passes through the opening 10B, changes direction by approximately 90 degrees at the tape guide 15b located at the corner (not shown), and winds it onto the take-up reel 8b disposed in the dome portion 10H. It will be done.

Therefore, when the tape 11 is brought into narrow contact with the magnetic head and pad that face the opening 10B from the top and bottom of the cartridge 1o, as seen in a normal floppy disk recording/playback device, the magnetic head will move the tape 11 in the running direction ( record the signal in the longitudinal direction) or record the signal on the tape 11
It is possible to play back the signals recorded on the .

In this case, if the width of the tape 11 is set to about 374 inches, the number of tracks formed in the longitudinal direction corresponding to a 3.5 inch floppy disk can be set to about 80. However, since the recording medium of such tape cassettes has been converted from a disk to a tape, the recording capacity of one track is several ten times that of a disk.For example, if the tape length is set to 12m, the storage capacity is about 20MB. Can be obtained with one tape cassette.

Therefore, it can be used as a backup memory for hard disks, and can also be applied to filing systems that require large amounts of data.

By the way, if the number of recording tracks formed on the tape 11 is set to 80, for example, the track width of the l track will be approximately 0.12+ss+, so such a tape cassette can be inserted into the device using the dowel holes 10D, IOD, etc. Even if the tape 11 and the magnetic head are positioned within a predetermined range, it is extremely difficult to maintain the relative position accuracy between the tape 11 and the magnetic head within a predetermined range.

Therefore, in the present invention, the relative positional accuracy of the tape 11 and the magnetic head is improved by taking advantage of the fact that the floppy disk recording/reproducing device adjusts and matches the positions of the disk rotation axis and the magnetic head on the production line. Try to make it higher.

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining an example of the method for positioning the tape cassette of the present invention, in which the center core l provided in the cartridge lO is shown by a cutaway. .

20 is a toggle arm that is rotatably supported by a shaft P in the cassette compartment on the side of the magnetic recording/reproducing device, 21 is a spring coil that biases the toggle arm 20 in the direction of the arrow, and 22 is the side of the cartridge IO. This is a protrusion fixed to the side. In addition, 23 is a rotational drive shaft, 24 with diagonal lines is a V-groove positioning member provided, for example, in the lower half 10a, 25 is a long dowel hole, 2
6 indicates a bottle.

In such a structure, when the cartridge IO of this tape cassette is inserted into a cassette compartment (not shown) from the direction of arrow F, the protrusion 22 first comes into contact with one end 20a of the toggle arm 20 at the position indicated by the two-dot chain line. While rotating the toggle arm 20, move the arrow F.
When the spring coil 21 crosses the two-dot chain line M, it is pulled by the spring coil 21 at the position indicated by the solid line, and the other end 20b of the toggle arm 20 presses the protrusion 22 and stops. That is, in this state, the positioning member 24 is in pressure contact with the rotational drive shaft 23 and comes into contact with the rotational drive shaft 23, and in this position, the cartridge 10 is moved around the rotational drive shaft 23.
The entire body will receive a rotational force in the direction of arrow G (note that
At this point, the cartridge is seated on the deck (
(cassette down), so the deck bottle 26 fits into the dowel hole 25 of the elongated hole).

This rotational force is blocked by the bottle 26 protruding into the dowel hole 25.

When the cartridge is locked in the device in this state, the cartridge IO is positioned with the rotation drive shaft 23 as a reference.

Then, since the magnetic head located in the opening 10B of the cartridge 10 and the rotary drive shaft 23 are already positioned with high precision, if the positional precision of the cartridge 10 and the tape 11 inside it is set to be high, the tape 11 The relative positional accuracy between the magnetic head and the tape 11 is also increased.
recording tracks can be scanned accurately.

In addition, the dowel hole 25. The play caused by the pin 26 has little effect on the positional accuracy between the tape and the magnetic head.

FIG. 4 shows a specific example of a center core l and its mounting structure for providing the function of the positioning member 24. The center core l is attached to the lower half 10a made of metal die-casting or the like. On the other hand, they are connected via a highly precise copper-based oilless metal 27.

By using metal die-casting for the lower half loa, the relative positional accuracy between the tape 11 and the cartridge 10 is further improved, and by using the copper-based oilless metal 27, the rotational drive shaft 23 and the lower half loa, that is, the tape 11 High relative position accuracy.

In particular, the die-cast metal forming the lower half 10a has more rigidity than resin material, which is a typical cartridge material, and has the advantage that the support position of the tape guide described above can be more accurate.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, the positioning direction of the tape cassette of the present invention is determined based on the rotational drive shaft that drives the tape cassette, so that the tape is not stored in the cartridge. Even with floppy disk type tape cassettes, such as the conventional floppy disk, the relative position between the recording track and the magnetic head can be raised with the same accuracy as with a conventional floppy disk.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a tape cassette to which the present invention is applied, FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the center line LL in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a method for positioning the tape cassette of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing an embodiment of a center core mounting structure, and FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a floppy disk. In the figure, 1 is a center core, 2 is a timing belt, 3 is a pulley, 4 is an oscillating gear, 5 is an oscillating plate, 6a, 6b, and 7a are bevel gears, 8a is a supply reel, 9 is a shaft, 1
0 is the cartridge, 10a and 10b are the upper and lower halves, 1
1 is a tape, 12a-17a and 17b are tape guides. 20 is a toggle arm, 21 is a spring coil. 22 is a protrusion, 23 is a positioning member, 25 is a dowel hole, 2
6 indicates a pin. Floppy analysis t4 stuttering Δ2 Figure 5 'Continued from page 1 [Phase] Int, C1,' Identification code Internal reference number 1 Inventor Charles H. Jimill Road, Karmatsu Konica, USA 1 in 150 Inventor George Clifford United States, Cardo Jimil Road
150 years ago Inventor: Bruce F. Spe 1 Jimill Road, Caruncer, United States
Within 501 knees

Claims (1)

[Claims] A center core disposed approximately in the center of a flat space surrounded by an upper half and a lower half and chucked to a rotation drive shaft, a rotation mechanism connected to the center core, and a rotation mechanism connected to both sides of the rotation mechanism. A tape comprising a supply reel and a take-up reel, and a plurality of tape guides for causing the magnetic tape pulled out from the supply reel to circulate along the flat space and then returning to the take-up reel. In the tape cassette, when the tape cassette is installed in a recording/reproducing device, the mounting position of the tape cassette is determined by being pressed by a shaft of a drive motor that abuts against the center core. Positioning method.